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Walking Onions (Tree Onions/Egyptian Onions) — Allium × proliferum

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Walking Onions (Tree Onions/Egyptian Onions) — Allium × proliferum

layout: base.njk title: Walking Onions (Tree Onions/Egyptian Onions) description: Growing Walking Onions (Tree Onions/Egyptian Onions) in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: perennial

Quick Reference: See detailed growing information below
Walking onion plants with tree onion bulbs

Type: Perennial
Family: Amaryllidaceae (Onion family, formerly Alliaceae)
Sun: Full sun
Water: Moderate
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5
Hardiness: Zones 3-9

📅 Planting Calendar (WV Zone 6b/7a)

Method Timing Notes
Plant bulbils/topsets August 15 - October 15 OR March 15 - April 30 2" deep, 6-8" apart, rows 12-18" apart
Divide clumps March 15 - April 30 OR August 15 - September 15 Separate bulbs, replant immediately
First harvest Year 1 (greens), Year 2 (bulbs) Greens anytime, bulbs late summer
Harvest topsets July - August When brown and dry, for replanting

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: 3-5 topsets (bulbils) per year, plus greens
  • Per patch (10'x10'): 50-100 topsets, continuous greens
  • Lifespan: Indefinite—plants self-propagate via topsets, essentially immortal

🌿 Growing Conditions

  • Soil: Well-drained loam, tolerates poor soil. Prefers fertile soil for largest bulbs.
  • Fertilizer: Light feeder. Annual compost application sufficient. High phosphorus encourages bulb formation.
  • Mulching: 2-4" straw or leaves for winter protection (especially in Zone 6). Helps retain moisture.
  • Companions: Carrots (mutually beneficial for pest control), tomatoes, peppers, cabbage family, lettuce
  • Avoid: Beans, peas (alliums stunt legume growth)
  • Pests: Onion thrips, onion maggots. Generally resistant due to strong scent. Use row cover if problems severe.
  • Diseases: White rot (Sclerotium cepivorum—persists in soil), downy mildew. Rotate location every 10+ years if disease appears.
  • Containment: Self-propagates vigorously via topsets. Plants "walk" as topsets fall and root nearby. Can form dense colonies. Harvest topsets to control spread, or embrace natural colonization.

Critical Note: Walking onions produce topsets (bulbils) at top of flower stalk. Stalk bends under weight, topsets root nearby—hence "walking." All parts edible: greens (like scallions), bulbs (like shallots), topsets (like pearl onions). Flavor stronger than regular onions, reminiscent of shallots.

🏺 Heirloom Varieties (5-10+)

'Catawissa' Walking Onion

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
  • Notes: American heirloom, named for Catawissa, Pennsylvania. Large bulbs, mild flavor. Very cold-hardy. Topsets reddish-brown. Most common variety in US.

'Egyptian' Walking Onion

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, rare collections
  • Notes: Traditional variety, misnamed (not from Egypt). Small bulbs, strong flavor. Prolific topset producer. Very hardy.

'Moritz' Walking Onion

  • Source: European seed exchanges, rare networks
  • Notes: German heirloom. Large topsets, mild sweet flavor. Vigorous grower. Cold-hardy to Zone 3.

'Turkish' Walking Onion

  • Source: Baker Creek, rare seed collections
  • Notes: Very large bulbs (golf ball size). Exceptionally mild, sweet. Prolific producer. Highly prized by chefs.

'Red' Walking Onion

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek
  • Notes: Reddish-purple topsets and bulbs. Beautiful ornamental value. Strong flavor. Cold-hardy. Good for pickling.

'Yellow' Walking Onion

  • Source: Heritage collections, seed savers
  • Notes: Golden-yellow topsets. Classic onion flavor. Reliable producer. Good storage quality.

'White' Walking Onion

  • Source: Old garden collections
  • Notes: White bulbs and topsets. Mild flavor. Less common. Early maturing.

'Portuguese' Walking Onion

  • Source: European seed networks
  • Notes: Iberian Peninsula heirloom. Medium bulbs, sweet flavor. Heat-tolerant. Prolific.

'Japanese' Walking Onion

  • Source: Asian seed exchanges, rare collections
  • Notes: Smaller plants, delicate flavor. Used in Asian cuisine. Less cold-hardy (Zone 5).

Wild-type Walking Onion

  • Source: Foraged from old homesteads
  • Notes: Found growing around abandoned farms. Adapted to local conditions. Often very vigorous.

📜 Cultural History & Domestication

Domesticated: 1700s Europe, from hybridization of A. cepa × A. fistulosum

Archaeological Evidence: Walking onion is a hybrid, likely arose in cultivation (not found wild). First documented in Europe 1500s-1600s.

Historical Record: - First written description by John Gerard (1597) in The Herball—called "tree onion" - Called "Egyptian onion" because 19th-century seed merchants marketed them as exotic imports from Egypt (marketing fiction) - Common in European cottage gardens 1700s-1800s - Brought to North America by European settlers (1600s-1700s) - Appalachian mountain gardens frequently featured walking onions—low-maintenance, reliable - Pennsylvania Dutch called them "top onions" or "tree onions" - By 1850s, walking onions common in American farmsteads - Victory gardens (WWI/WWII): Recommended for easy production - Mid-1900s: Declined as hybrid bulb onions became commercially dominant - Preserved by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Seed Savers Exchange (1980s-present) - Modern revival: Permaculture and no-till gardeners value self-propagating nature

Cultural Significance: - Symbol of self-reliant gardening—"plant once, harvest forever" - Appalachian tradition: Walking onions passed down through generations, often without name - Victorian flower language: Onions symbolized wealth and prosperity - Traditional medicine: Used for colds, coughs, high blood pressure (like all alliums) - Folklore: Hanging onions in home warded off illness - Eastern European tradition: Walking onions planted near home for protection - Modern permaculture: Model of "no-work" vegetable—self-mulching, self-fertilizing, self-propagating

🌾 Seed Saving / Propagation

  • Seed method: Plants rarely produce viable true seed (sterile hybrid). Propagate vegetatively.
  • Isolation: Not applicable—vegetative propagation
  • Viability: N/A for seed
  • Division: Anytime plants are growing, but best in spring or fall. Separate bulbs at base of clump. Replant immediately.
  • Topset propagation: PRIMARY method. Harvest topsets from flower stalk when brown and dry (July-August). Plant immediately or store cool/dry. Plant 2" deep, 6-8" apart. Each topset produces new plant.
  • Special notes: Topsets can be planted in fall (Zone 6-7) or stored and planted in spring. Fall planting gives larger plants. Harvest greens anytime. Harvest bulbs when tops fall over (like regular onions). Cure bulbs in dry, airy location. Stores 3-6 months. Topsets store 6-12 months.

📖 Sources Consulted

  1. West Virginia University Extension. "Growing Onions in the Home Garden." WVU Extension Service, 2023.
  2. Seed Savers Exchange. "Walking Onion (Allium × proliferum)." Variety Database, 2024.
  3. Brewster, J.L. Onions and Other Vegetable Alliums. CABI Publishing, 2002.
  4. Ashworth, Suzanne. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners. 2nd ed., Seed Savers Exchange, 2002.
  5. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. "Walking Onions: Growing Guide." 2023.

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead